The videotape of Donald Trump that is shaking up the presidential election sat forgotten on a shelf at NBC's "Access Hollywood" until just a few days ago.
On Monday, according to an NBC source, one of the entertainment newsmagazine's producers remembered Trump's 2005 taping session with former "Access" co-host Billy Bush.
Trump's offensive comments about Alicia Machado were still making waves. And the Associated Press had just published a detailed story quoting former "Apprentice" employees saying Trump "was lewd and sexist" while taping the reality show.
With that in mind, a producer dug up the tape.
By mid-week, executive producer Rob Silverstein and his producing team had taken a look at its contents, and discovered that among other things it included a moment in which Trump told Bush, "And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything... Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything."
It also included Trump saying he once tried and failed to sleep with Nancy O'Dell, who was Bush's co-host at the time.
After reviewing the tape, "we were debating what to do" with it, an NBC source explained.
By Friday morning, Silverstein had decided to broadcast it, and a script had been written. The story was not slated to air on Friday night's edition of the show, however.
That means the earliest it would have aired is Monday night -- after Sunday's presidential debate.
Another NBC source confirmed that "Access" was working on a story, and that NBC News knew about it, but said that as of Friday morning the story "wasn't quite finalized."
That's when Silverstein was notified that David Fahrenthold of The Washington Post had come into possession of a copy.
Fahrenthold has been reporting for months on Trump's charitable donations and the Trump Foundation. The tape was apparently leaked to him.
Fahrenthold asked NBC for comment about the tape around noon Eastern time. The producers at "Access," which is based in California, were blindsided by Fahrenthold's call.
Contacted by CNNMoney on Friday, Farenthold declined to comment about how he obtained the tape.
But sources at NBC believe someone inside NBC downloaded the footage from one of the network's video servers. The tape was accessible internally since the "Access" story was already in the works.
Silverstein told Page Six on Friday afternoon, "I don't know who leaked it. I have no idea."
After the Post called NBC for comment, NBC News staff hurried to finish a story about it. So did the "Access" staff.
On Friday night's edition of the newsmagazine, co-host Natalie Morales reported on the tape, linking it to Monday's investigation by The A.P.
Morales also noted that Trump has appeared on the show "hundreds of times" over the years.
"In the course of reporting on Mr. Trump, we have reviewed much of our own footage," she said.
So does "Access" have other tapes of Trump speaking in vulgar terms? One of the NBC sources said, "Not that I know of."
The videotape of Donald Trump that is shaking up the presidential election sat forgotten on a shelf at NBC's "Access Hollywood" until just a few days ago.
On Monday, according to an NBC source, one of the entertainment newsmagazine's producers remembered Trump's 2005 taping session with former "Access" co-host Billy Bush.
Yeah, I'm sure that's exactly how it went down. I'm sure if I were in the media I would conveniently forget about my best material until October also.
Paul Ryan said Friday night that he was "sickened" by Donald Trump's lewd comments about women, and announced that the GOP nominee would no longer campaign with him in Wisconsin on Saturday.
The speaker did not, however, comment on whether he still supports Trump for the presidency. He was reacting to audio and video showing Trump saying he could kiss and grab a woman's genitals with impunity because he is famous.
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Hours after the footage posted on The Washington Post, Ryan's office said, "I am sickened by what I heard today."
"Women are to be championed and revered, not objectified," Ryan continued in a statement. "I hope Mr. Trump treats this situation with the seriousness it deserves and works to demonstrate to the country that he has greater respect for women than this clip suggests. In the meantime, he is no longer attending tomorrow’s event in Wisconsin.”
The event, a "fall fest" in Elkhorn, Wisconsin that Ryan invited Trump to attend, is still on. Mike Pence will be standing in for Trump.
I think the official "Dump Trump" movement has started within the Republican Party. There have already been outsiders, ex-congressmen, pundits that have long wanted out, but now I think everyone within the GOP wants out.
I wonder how Ted Cruz is feeling right now, he long stuck to his guns, even earned the ire of the establishment at the convention while enjoying the support of his loyal tea party, only to cave and endorse Trump and subsequently piss off said supporters.
Paul Ryan lol. This dude makes wrong move after wrong move.
Ryan manages to say maybe the most condescending thing I ever heard a man say about women "Women are to be championed and revered." It's so sexist to say something that patronizing.
It's about as sexist as men that think all women are going to change their vote over this silly tape. To them only men care about jobs, the economy, education, trade, national security; while women just vote on silly stuff like this audio. Cave men.
Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz has withdrawn his endorsement of Donald Trump following the publication of lewd and sexually aggressive comments the Republican nominee made 2005, in one of the most concrete signs so far that Trump’s support is crumbling.
“I’m out. I can no longer in good conscience endorse this person for president. It is some of the most abhorrent and offensive comments that you can possibly imagine,” Chaffetz told Utah’s Fox 13 News.
First domino. Didn't have time to create a pool to see who would be the first to rescind their endorsement, I was going with Kelly Ayotte.
Just as insincere as the first one, probably getting a ton of pressure from his staff to apologize, but it seems like he just can't stop attacking people for more than 30 seconds at a time.
Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz has withdrawn his endorsement of Donald Trump following the publication of lewd and sexually aggressive comments the Republican nominee made 2005, in one of the most concrete signs so far that Trump’s support is crumbling.
“I’m out. I can no longer in good conscience endorse this person for president. It is some of the most abhorrent and offensive comments that you can possibly imagine,” Chaffetz told Utah’s Fox 13 News.
First domino. Didn't have time to create a pool to see who would be the first to rescind their endorsement, I was going with Kelly Ayotte.
He's not endorsing Trump because he doesn't want his name associated with it, but still likely to vote for him - maayyybe Gary Johnson but I doubt it. Dilbert author doing the same thing, it's just damage control of their own reputation, not changing their votes.
So many people have 50 Shades of Grey and are aware of the sexual talk when among your same gender - guy or girl. I mostly just see outrage by people who already were all-in Hillary, "nice guys", and publicly facing family men. Most women I know just rolled their eyes or laughed it off and have said much worse things about penises or of raping hot celebrities. "I would blabblahblah Bradd Pitt so hard."
Most women I know just rolled their eyes or laughed it off and have said much worse things about penises or of raping hot celebrities. "I would blabblahblah Bradd Pitt so hard."
I don't know what kind of people you hang out with, but there is a distinction between saying you want to >blank< a celebrity, and advocating being able to grab them because you have money.
Oh give me a break. Like anyone here has never talked sexually in front of their friends? I know I've said I'd like ***in front of my friends. So many god damn high horses in here. At least he never dropped a load on an intern.
Oh give me a break. Like anyone here has never talked sexually in front of their friends? I know I've said I'd like ***in front of my friends. So many god damn high horses in here. At least he never dropped a load on an intern.
Yeah but, you aren't running for president, trying to get those women to vote for you. There's a big difference there.
Oh give me a break. Like anyone here has never talked sexually in front of their friends? I know I've said I'd like ***in front of my friends. So many god damn high horses in here. At least he never dropped a load on an intern.
So two consenting adults is bad (Bill and Monica), but an unwanted grab (Trump) is OK?
I did some pretty bad things in military 11 years ago. Doesn't define who I am now. It was 11 years ago, I agree he shouldn't have said it but I do not judge people by their past, I guess it is a christian thing. He apologized and asked for forgiveness. Who are we to deny anyone forgiveness.
Oh give me a break. Like anyone here has never talked sexually in front of their friends? I know I've said I'd like ***in front of my friends. So many god damn high horses in here. At least he never dropped a load on an intern.
So two consenting adults is bad (Bill and Monica), but an unwanted grab (Trump) is OK?
Big difference between talking about infidelity and acting on it.
Most women I have talked to and seen comment on this just rolled their eyes and laughed it off. It was 11 years ago! People change.
And the Lewinsky scandal was over 15 years ago, but you are holding that against Hillary for some reason.
I only brought that up because of comparison to being in the past. I do not hold that against clinton anymore. If people ask for forgiveness who are we to deny them that. If Trumps comments were like yesterday, then yes I would not support him. 11 years is a long time.
Oh give me a break. Like anyone here has never talked sexually in front of their friends? I know I've said I'd like ***in front of my friends. So many god damn high horses in here. At least he never dropped a load on an intern.
So two consenting adults is bad (Bill and Monica), but an unwanted grab (Trump) is OK?
The only problem with Monica was the fact that he lied under oath about it. Bill has a much more sordid past than that when it comes to mistreating women.
Oh give me a break. Like anyone here has never talked sexually in front of their friends? I know I've said I'd like ***in front of my friends. So many god damn high horses in here. At least he never dropped a load on an intern.
So two consenting adults is bad (Bill and Monica), but an unwanted grab (Trump) is OK?
The only problem with Monica was the fact that he lied under oath about it. Bill has a much more sordid past than that when it comes to mistreating women.
No, he didn't lie about it. He just pulled the dirty lawyer trick of using the technical definition of "sexual relations" to be able to deny it. I'm not going to say it wasn't scummy, and I definitely won't be voting for Bill Clinton in 2016.
The thing is, for every "bimbo" (Hillary's words) that Bill ***/raped (some consensual, some not) Hillary attacked them and disparaged their voices. For someone who claims to fight for women, and has said that everyone who's a victim of sexual assault should be heard and believed, she's been quick as ***to *** over the women who have spoken up.
US TV network NBC is cutting ties with Donald Trump over "recent derogatory statements" that the veteran businessman made about immigrants.
NBC said the company would now not be airing the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants that are co-owned by Mr Trump.
Responding to the announcement, Mr Trump said he would consider suing NBC.
Earlier this month, he accused Mexicans of adding drugs and crime to the US as he announced he was seeking the Republican presidential nomination.
"They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists, and some I assume are good people, but I speak to border guards, and they tell us what we are getting," he said in his speech on 16 June.
He also pledged to build a "great wall" on the US border with Mexico and insisted it would be paid for by Mexicans.
He later insisted he was criticising US lawmakers, not Mexican people.
